Track block



July 4, 1944.

C. W. LEGUILLON ETAL TRACK BLOCK Filed Aug. 15, 1942 Jaw-Ema; v [has/ s ZZFZguil/an- Patented July 4, 1944 Ohio, assignors to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 15, 1942, Serial No. 454,895

10 Claims.

This invention realtes to track blocks for vehicles of the self-laying block track type.

In self-laying track type Vehicles for military tanks, tractors, agricultural and excavating vehicles having blocks linked or articulated to each other to provide an endless track, it has been found that where the blocks are of metallic construction at their tread faces, speed of the vehicle is unduly limited and wear of the tread surface of the track is undesirably rapid. Blocks of such metallic construction are also very noisy in operation. Improved speed, reduced wear, and relatively quiet operation have been made possible by use of blocks having treads of rubberlike material. However, the prior constructions have not been such as to make it feasible and utilize to full advantage a fibrous material of great abundance such as cotton which in'and of itself is not of great strength for tread use although it possesses inherent cushioning and other desirable properties.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a tread construction utilizing to best advantage strand material such as cotton threads or cords in woven or unwoven fabric form for the tread face or wearing surface; to provide for substantial wearing depth thereof; and to provide for strength and durability of the tread structure.

Further objects of the invention are to provide increased traction, to provide great resistance to wear, to provide increased speed of locomotion and increased cushioning of the load, and to provide facility of repair. These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a self-laying vehicle track including blocks constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, and a part of the driving mechanism therefor, parts bein broken away.

Fig. 2ris a perspective view of one of the track blocks, parts being broken away to shOW its con stuction.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the track block.

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the fabric plies of the block.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the

invention is illustrated as applied to a track I!) I comprises a plurality of track blocks ll linked to each other and adapted to engage a drive wheel l2.

Each track block has a pair of metal end plates l5, Hi to which are secured a pair of tubular metal sleeves l1, l8 arranged parallel to each other for cooperating with pivot pins I9, 20 which extend therethrough. The sleeves act not only as housings for the pins but also hold the end plates in spaced-apart relation. For this purpose they are welded, riveted, or otherwise secured to the end plates. A cushioning body 2| having opposite wearresisting faces'22, 23 for contacting the drive wheel and the ground respectively is provided comprising strand material such as cord or thread of cotton or other suitable material preferaby'i'n theform of laminations 24, each lamination having substantially the same shape as the end plates, the laminations being held in closely stacked relation between the end plates. Good results have been obtained without usin a high degree of compression of the material, although compression may be used to increase the hardness of the tread, if desired. These laminations may be of square woven tire fabric; duck, Weak-wefted or weftless cord fabric or other fabric material. While it is preferred to employ bare fabric without adhesive material, the fabric laminations may be coated with vulcanized or unvulcanized rubber compositions or with coatings of moisture-resistant materials such as wax dispersions and mildew-resisting materials. All of the laminations are of one shape and size and may be cutas by means of a die from sheet material and assembled over the sleeves, holes being provided in the laminations to receive the sleeves as is shown for example in Fig. 5. The material of the laminations is preferably arranged on the bias in the case of woven fabric so that both warp and weft threads appear at the wear faces of the block, and where weakwefted cord fabric is used alternate laminations are preferably arranged with crossed warps.

Th laminations are mounted on the sleeves l1, l8 and are held under compression between the end plates. In manufacture of the track blocks the laminations may project beyond the metal end plates, as at 25, but it is found in use that the fabric body does not wear faster than the metal so that the fabric maintains an operating face even with the metal at its margin.

It is found that the closely associated fabric laminations supply a body of great weight-sustaining ability while considerable yieldability and cushioning is also provided.

For additional stifi metallic support to the laminations of textile material, metal Partitions 26 or intermediate plates which may have the same outer, dimensions as the laminations, may be placed at intervals between the laminated material.

r In assembling the trackblock, the laminations and partitions are strung upon the sleeves ll, 18 which are primarily secured to one end plate. The assembled material is then held together and the second end plate is secured in place to the ends of the sleeves as by welding. In case the partitions 26 are used, these may be secured to the sleeves as the structure is assembled, or

tions, the partitions increase the resistance of the stack to outward creep or bulging of the fabric, and this result may be enhanced by the provision of apertures 26' or indentations, protuber-,

ances, roughness or the like to increase the re.-' sistance to movement of the fabric with respect to the partitions. Also, the partitions supply added support from the ground especially when the fabric laminations are held tightly compressed against the partitions.

In use, the body of laminations provides a wearing surface comprising fibers which cushion contact with the ground and provides a high coefficient of friction against ice or smooth wet pavements, thefibers acting somewhat in the manner of the-fur on the foot of an animal. The metal end plates and partitions wear away with the laminations of fabric providing confining support to the wear surfaces throughout the useful life of of the block while the tread face is essentially that of the fabric body. Results of tests have shown that the fabric body constructed as described herein presents great resistance to wear and provides quiet operation and cushionr ng of the vehicle. Also, the construction provides the fibrous cushioning surface at both the tread face and the opposite face on which the bogy wheels and other rolling members ride.

The invention provides a track capable of speed comparable to that of a track having a rubber tread but does not require rubber in its composition.

The fabric laminations may be impregnated with water-proofing and mildew-resisting compositions but need not be filled with rubber or other plastic materials although such fillings may be used if desired.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

l. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a body of unadhered individual laminations of unadhered strand material in stacked relation with ends of the strand material at upper and lower faces of the block, retain ng elements extending transversely through the laminations, and plate elements at ends of the body and secured to said retaining elements.

2. A track block fora self-laying track type vehicle, said tracl tblock comprising a body of unadhered individual laminations of strand material in stacked relation with the laminations extending in the forward and rearward directions of the block with the strands arranged diagonally in the laminations and with ends of the strand material at upper and lower faces thereof, plates at the sides of the body, and means extending through apertures in said laminations for connectin said plates to hold the laminations in the stacked relation.

3. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a body of unadhered individual laminations of strand material in stacked relation with ends of the strand terial at a tread face of the block, tubular retaining elements extending transversely through said laminations and plate elements at the ends of the body and secured to said tubular retaining elements.

4. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a wear-resisting and cushioning body of individual laminations of unrubberized flexible textile material stacked in non-adhering relation to each other with edges of the laminations exposed at opposite faces of the block, and means for holding the laminations in the stacked relation.

5. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a wear-resisting body of laminations of unrubberized flexible woven material stacked upon each other in non-adhering relation with edges exposed at opposite faces of said block, plates at the ends of the stacked laminations, and means extending through the body and connecting the plates.

6. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a pair of plate members, spaced-apart sleeves interconmeeting said plate members, and a wear-resisting body between said plate members and disposed about said sleeves, said body being held between said plate members and comprising non-adhered stacked laminations of flexible textile material with edges exposed at a wear face of said block.

7. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle in which track blocks are hinged to each other in series, said track block comprising a body of unadhered individual laminations in stacked relation, bearing sleeves extending through said body, and plates fixed to said bearing sleeves for retaining said body in stacked condition, said laminations comprising woven fabric with threads of the fabric extending at an angle acute to opposite wear faces of said block and with ends of the threads exposed at said faces.

8. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a body ofunadhered laminations of flexible moisture-resistant strand material, retaining elements extending transversely through said laminations, plate elements at ends of said body secured to said retaining elements, and at least one additional plate element disposed between groups of the laminations.

9. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle, said track block comprising a pair of spaced-apart plate members, spaced-apart sleeves secured to said plate members, a wear-resisting body between said plate members and extending about said sleeves, said body being held betweensaid plate members and comprising laminations of flexible woven material having threads extending diagonal to a wear face of said block with ends thereof exposed at said face, and additional plate members disposed between groups of the laminations.

10. A. track block for a self-laying track type vehicle comprising a plurality of stacked laminations of cushioning material, at least one plate element at an intermediate position of the stack, and means holding the stack and plate compressed, the intermediate plate having means associated with its face for increasing the resistance to slippage of adjacent laminations.

CHARLES W. LEGUILLON. ALVIN S. KROTZ. 

